How franchise tag impacts Dalton Schultz’s future with Cowboys

By David Helman
FOX Sports Dallas Cowboys Writer

DALLAS — This has to have been the least-dramatic contract negotiation in recent Cowboys history.

So little noise has been made in the case of Dalton Schultz that you’d be forgiven if you didn’t know the Dallas tight end had been angling for a new contract. But as the clock struck 4 p.m. ET on July 15, the NFL’s franchise tag deadline is here, and the Cowboys’ veteran must now play the 2022 season on his $10.9 million franchise tender.

It’s a stark contrast from the type of shenanigans we usually see when a Dallas Cowboy comes due for a deal. Dak Prescott and this front office passed notes back and forth through the media for the better part of two years, each side seeking to get a leg up in a long and winding negotiation. DeMarcus Lawrence used a looming shoulder surgery as leverage for a deal when he didn’t want to play under a second straight franchise tag in 2019.

Back 2015, Dez Bryant famously held out all offseason and threatened not to play — only for a $50 million deal to come together just moments before that year’s deadline.

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That drama largely has been absent from Schultz’s story. The fourth-year tight end signed the franchise tag way back in March, guaranteeing his one-year salary and locking him in for the season. Other than a brief absence during offseason practices — which are voluntary, by the way — hardly a peep has been heard regarding a long-term deal.

It feels safe to assume that’s by design on the Cowboys’ part. They might talk tough about contracts, but when they have needed to sign a player they prioritize, it has happened — usually with the player getting the better end of the deal.

In Schultz’s case, it’s bad circumstance that forced the team into this predicament. The Cowboys had fellow veteran TE Blake Jarwin playing on a team-friendly, $24 million extension. But injuries robbed him of much of the past two seasons, and a serious offseason surgery prompted his release this spring. Placing the tag on Schultz was the difference between having a proven starter on the roster or no experience at all.

And to be clear, regardless of the difference of opinion on his ability, Schultz would have had a robust market had he been allowed to hit free agency in March. Since stepping into the starting role in 2020, his numbers compare favorably with almost any other tight end in the league. He finished the 2021 season ranked third in the NFL among tight ends in receptions (78), sixth in yards (808) and fifth in touchdowns (eight).

At the same time, it’s fair to suggest Schultz’s stats don’t stack up with those of the league’s elite. Some of the NFL’s top-earning tight ends — such as George Kittle, Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews — still occupy a class above him, as Schultz has yet to log a 100-catch or 1,000-yard season. The problem is, the market is the market, and Schultz has a résumé that suggests he has earned himself a payday.

Hence, the impasse. The Cowboys are willing to pay $10.9 million for Schultz’s services this year, but they clearly aren’t dying to make him one of the highest-paid tight ends in the league. That’s why they couldn’t have been happy to see the Cleveland Browns sign David Njoku, whom Schultz has clearly outperformed, to a four-year, $54.7 million contract back in May.

What does it mean now? We get to find out who is right.

The Cowboys have prepped themselves to move on from Schultz in 2023 by drafting Wisconsin tight end Jake Ferguson in the fourth round of this year’s draft. But will their opinion change if Schultz continues his upward trajectory? If he continues to serve as one of Prescott’s most reliable targets, will they still be willing to part ways next spring?

Fortunately for Schultz, he has found himself in a situation that should give him plenty of leverage. By signing the tag, he’s secured as one of the only established pass-catchers in this offense for 2022. Amari Cooper (Browns) and Cedrick Wilson (Dolphins) are off to new teams, and Michael Gallup is still recovering from a torn ACL. That leaves Schultz and CeeDee Lamb as the Cowboys’ primary returning targets from last year. Schultz’s opportunity to put up numbers will assuredly be there, so long as he stays healthy.

That’s where we put a pin in things. The Cowboys have stood firm on a contract negotiation — an admitted rarity in recent years. Now, we’ll have to wait and see who looks smarter when that negotiation can resume.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports, providing insight and analysis on the NFL’s most visible franchise. Prior to joining FOX, David spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website, DallasCowboys.com. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State.